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Friday, 11 March 2011

North East school students get organised

There's a perennial difficulty with student protest movements: while they can rise rapidly, seemingly exploding into life, they tend to fall swiftly too. This is even more true of school students' protests than in the universities.

It is therefore inspiring and hopeful that a number of school students involved in last term's anti-fees and anti-cuts protests, here in the North East, are serious about a permanent campaigning organisation. The group's info is below.

It's important we respond to their request for co-operation with anti-cuts groups, unions etc. Lizi, one of the sixth formers involved, will be reporting back from Tuesday's school students' meeting at the following evening's Tyne and Wear Coalition of Resistance meeting (Gateshead Civic Centre, Wednesday 16 March, 7pm - open to all supporters).

Considering the attacks on education, now is a great time to build solid political representation for young people. This group is to discuss how we can build a union for all school students (or young people of school age) in the North East and what that union would look like.

At the moment we’re trying to establish links with other groups across the country for a national school students union, and within the North East we want to built links with union members, teachers, youthworkers, parents of FE students, etc, to try and build the voice of students, as well as young people not in education.

Our next meeting is 5.30pm in Meeting Room 5, Newcastle University Student’s Union (temporarily housed at 1 Park Terrace) – open to anyone and everyone.